plate no. 4586

Dcoetzee from the National Portrait Gallery, London Website Using a Special Tool. All Images in This Batch Have Been Confirmed as Author Died Before 1939 According to the Official Death Date Listed by the Npg.

oilBaroqueportraitportraitfiguremalehairclothingface

some experience helpful

Recreating this painting will help students develop skills in portraiture, including accurate proportions, subtle skin tone mixing, and rendering form with light and shadow. It also provides practice in capturing a likeness and creating a sense of depth.

technical profile

palette complexity

brushwork visibility

value contrast

compositional simplicity

study guide

est. 12 hrs

approach — 8 steps

step 01
Create a light sketch of the head and shoulders, paying attention to proportions and angles.
step 02
Block in the background with a dark brown, establishing the overall value range.
step 03
Establish the basic skin tones using a mix of white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red.
step 04
Begin layering in the shadows on the face, using darker mixes of brown and red.
step 05
Add highlights to the face, focusing on the forehead, nose, and cheekbones.
step 06
Paint the hair with loose, flowing strokes, using a mix of browns and blacks.
step 07
Define the clothing with simple shapes and subtle shading.
step 08
Refine the details of the face, such as the eyes, nose, and mouth.

color palette

primary · titanium white · yellow ochre · burnt umber · cadmium red

secondary · ivory black · raw sienna

Skin tones are achieved by mixing white, yellow ochre, and a touch of red. Shadows are created by adding burnt umber and a small amount of black to the skin tone mix. The hair is a mix of burnt umber and black, lightened with raw sienna for highlights.

techniques